Richie Richardson reaches Lahore for Independence Cup

Lahore (Staff Report): Former West Indies (WI) skipper Sir Richie Richardson, appointed match referee by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the upcoming Independence Cup, has arrived in Lahore on Saturday morning.

Sir Richie Richardson will officiate as match referee in the three-match T20 series between Pakistan and the star-studded World XI, which will be played on September 12, 13 and 15 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced umpires’ names for the Independence Cup. Aleem Dar of the Elite Panel of the ICC Umpires and Ahsan Raza of the International Panel of the ICC Umpires will officiate in the series opener at the Gaddafi Stadium on September 12. Shozab Raza, also from the international panel, will be the TV umpire.

The second match of the series will be umpired by Ahmed Shahab and Shozab Raza, with Ahsan Raza as the TV umpire.

The series finale on September 15 will be umpired by Ahsan Raza and Shozab Raza, with Ahmed Shahab as the TV umpire.

Aleem Dar, who was the ICC Umpire of the Year from 2009-2011, has been appointed only for the opening match as he is scheduled to attend the ICC Elite Match Officials workshop in Dubai on September 13-15. In this year's annual workshop at the ICC Headquarters, the match officials will discuss, among other matters, the new playing conditions, which will come into effect from September 28.